


Four is Family

by itsfrantastic



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, discussing queer as a slur, mentions of 80s/90s era homophobia, mentions of kurt cobains death, mentions of luke/julie, ot4 sex scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:27:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26937367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsfrantastic/pseuds/itsfrantastic
Summary: There are times when Reggie feels more alone than he ever did. Even with Alex rubbing circles into his back and Luke wiping away his tears, Reggie feels really soul-crushingly alone.“You have to tell her,” Reggie says finally. His voice is strained.Luke is exhausted and is lazily running his hands through Alex’s hair.
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 11
Kudos: 278





	Four is Family

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! If you're a child then please don't read this. If you're a cast member then please don't read this. If you're a parent please don't read this. I'm not sure how any of those would end up on A03 unless you googled for this but please! This is not meant for you. 
> 
> My second disclaimer is that I don't own the original content or the characters. I am simply playing in the sand.

Sometimes, Reggie thinks, there is a point to life after all. They’re 15 and drinking beer on the pier by his house. Reggie’s teetering on the brink of slightly tipsy and drunk. The wind whips at his exposed shoulder blades. Bobby is chasing Luke around, his arms outstretched, growling as Luke hollers. Alex sits besides Reggie, his legs dangling over the edge of the dock. Sometimes the waves lick the soles of his sneakers and he yelps. Reggie thinks if life had a meaning then it must be this. He hears Luke laugh in the background, and glances back. Bobby has his hands in Luke’s hair, and they’re kissing under the moonlight. Luke shoves him aside and throws an empty can of Natural Light in his direction. Suddenly they’re running again. Reggie smiles.

“Hey,” he asks Alex. “Do you think life has meaning?” Reggie’s always been the most introspective of the bunch but Alex has spent many nights anxious and afraid, wondering if every decision he’s never made was worth it and contemplating why God put him on this earth.

Alex glances up. He’s wearing one of Luke’s hoodies. The foursome share clothes as much as they share everything else. They’re all the same size, and they’ve been doing it as long as they’ve been friends. But Reggie’s breath always hitches when he sees one of them wearing his favorite leather jacket, or when they sleep over in the studio and they don’t know where one ends and the other begins and they grab whatever’s near. Reggie thinks they all look so good in his clothes.

“It has to,” Alex says. “Otherwise what’s the point of it?”

Reggie doesn’t have an answer. He hears a thump. Bobby is on top of Luke now. Luke is laugh-screaming.

“Reggie, Alex! Help!” he says in between fits of giggles.

Alex downs the rest of his beer before standing up.

“Babe?” Alex says. He holds out his hand for Reggie to take.

Yeah, Reggie thinks. It’s got to be this.

***

Luke is 16 and unbelievably horny. He is, after all, a teenager in the 90s. Justin Timberlake dances on the screen at the record store Luke works part time at, and he can’t help but cringe. I mean, sure, he’s cute. Or, whatever. But NSYNC aren’t Green Day, or Husker Du, or Jane’s Addiction. In fact, Luke is almost certain they shouldn’t be classified as music at all.

MTV plays in the background of the shop all day. Luke likes watching _Behind The Music_ , and gets excited when they show bands like Duran Duran in between all the new Hip Hop and R&B. He lives at home with his Mom and Dad and splits the rent on the studio with Bobby and Alex (Reggie’s parents wouldn’t let him get a job) and he dropped out of high school last year to pursue music. Things with his parents are getting bad but he promised them he’d get his GED.

Luke is 16 and in love with his band. His friends, his brothers, his soul mates. He’s also unbelievably horny. He watches the girls in short skirts browse the aisles. They purchase TLC records and smile at him suggestively. One of them, the brunette, leans across the counter. Her shirt rides down low. Luke glances at her chest, spilling out of her bra. He can smell the lip smackers she’s wearing. Can see the glitter on her skin.

“I’m Trini,” she says. She pops her gum as her friends giggle.

He would say his name but it’s on his nametag.

“Do you have a public restroom?” Trini asks.

Luke nods and hands her the key. The other girls wave at him as they walk out of the store. They must know what’s going to happen. Trini heads toward the restrooms. Luke waits a minute and follows her.

***

They live in Los Angeles. They run around the streets from Sunset to Mulholland at night and Hollywood is a short drive away, but they ride their bikes and it takes them an hour. Sometimes they run into the _cholos_ from the _barrio_ , and Reggie seems to be friendly with everyone. They talk about The Smiths with Hector from a set with a name that none of them can pronounce outside a bodega several nights a week. Luke likes Hector a lot because he always knows the coolest bands. Reggie and Alex still go to school but Reggie skips a lot so they have plenty of time to write and jam.

***

Bobby hands Alex the joint. They’re in Bobby’s backyard. His foster parents are on vacation.

“You told your parents, huh?” he asks. Alex nods. He’s tired of crying. They didn’t kick him out, but Alex wishes they did.

“What is next?” Bobby says.

“They want me to go to a disciplinary council meeting,” Alex says. His voice cracks.

“Is that bad?”

“It’s really bad, Bob. Like catastrophic bad. Absolutely horrifyingly bad.”

“Excommunication bad?” Bobby asks as he reaches for the joint. I don’t think so. I think maybe one of those special camps. My dad donates a lot of money. Plus he still wants me to do my mission in El Salvador when I'm 19,” Alex says.

“Fuck your Dad,” Bobby says. He blows a ring with the smoke.

“Ew, you loser,” Alex says. He knows what Bobby means. Alex wishes he could say the same. He was always the shining example of a good Mormon son. Except he does drugs and has sex with boys and plays the drums in a rock band. At least I feel really guilty about all of that, he thought.

Most of all, Alex loves his mom and dad. He loves the elders and his church. He loves God, even if God wants him to burn in hell.

“What are you going to do?” Bobby asks.

“Can I stay with you awhile?” Alex says.

“Of course, blondie,” Bobby squeezes his shoulder.

They finish the joint and head back inside.

***

“Cobain’s dead,” Alex says through his tears. Reggie sinks into his bed. His parents are arguing in the main part of the house and they can hear them faintly. Reggie would be embarrassed if he wasn’t so used to it.

“Wait, really?” Luke asks. He crawls through the open window. Reggie’s bedroom is a basement suite.

“Oh, hey Luke!” Reggie says. He tosses Luke a soda. “They’re saying it’s a suicide.”

Alex turns up the volume on the TV. The news broadcast shows pictures of grieving teenagers. They show clips of Smells Like Teen Spirit. They show pictures of Courtney Love. The pretty reporter with pin-straight red hair doesn’t seem like she cares. That makes Alex even more upset.

“Fuck me man, that’s horrible!” Luke says as he pops open the can. Alex cries harder.

“Could you stop crying, babe?” Luke asks.

Reggie snickers.

“He was a national treasure!” Alex says.

“Yeah, I know. You know I love him, and this sucks, but everyone dies.” Luke says. “Like that little hamster you had in sixth grade?”

“Oh no,” Reggie says through a face palm. “Wrong thing to say!”

“Heavenly Father!” Alex cries. “Please forgive the transgressions of Kurt Cobain and accept him into your loving embrace and please say hello to Mr. Whiskers. I miss him a lot!”

“Amen?” Luke asks.

Alex blows his nose into Reggie’s bedsheet. 

***

“I love you,” Bobby says to Reggie.

Reggie’s got a hand fisted in Bobby’s shirt. Luke and Alex move to the floor. They’re whispering something. Reggie can’t make out their conversation with Bobby’s breath in his ear and lips on his collarbone.

"Fuck,” Bobby says. “I love all of you.”

Reggie laughs as Alex’s head pops up. “Sunset Curve forever?” Alex asks.

Luke reaches up and pulls Alex back down with a thump.

“Shut up and kiss him!” Bobby says.

“Sunset Curve forever,” Reggie echoes.

***

When they die Reggie is certain life never had meaning at all. Otherwise why would three perfectly healthy 17 year old boys have to go? As they’re on the cusp of something magical? Of their careers taking off? And why would they die without Bobby? The world is dark and bleak and cold and the only warmth is Alex and Luke. But Alex can’t stop crying and Reggie misses Bobby and his bass and his bed. He misses food and girls and marijuana and he misses the feeling of buying a new record and playing it in his room. Waiting as the music washes over him. Staring at the liner notes and learning every lyric and bass note. They had so many plans, so many dreams snuffed out thanks to faulty meat.

And then suddenly, as fast as they left, Julie makes them begin again.

***

Julie is a beautiful girl, with a quirky attitude and a heart as big as her talent. Reggie likes her family too. Ray reminds him of the father he always wanted. Alex likes having a girl around--someone to help embrace his more feminine side--and Reggie can see it happening before Luke can. It’s the way Luke’s eyes light up when she walks in the room, or the way he’s constantly making up excuses to be around her. Life after death on the other side of wherever they were is interesting but none of them expected Luke to fall in love with her.

***

Nothing hurts Luke more then finding out what Bobby did. Bobby, no, Trevor spat in the face of everything that was Sunset Curve. In more ways than one, and when Luke thinks about the bullshit Trevor did he wants nothing more than to drag him by his perfectly crafted hair and kick him in that spot under the ribs that Trevor was always ticklish in. They prank him with Alex’s newfound ghost powers (thanks to Willie and Luke is certain that’s going to be a thing) but it's not enough. It will never be enough to repair the Bobby/Trevor sized hole in Luke’s heart where the love once ran river-deep.

***

“I can have her and have you too,” Luke asks. “Can’t I?”

“Four has always been family,” Alex says quietly.

But Alex doesn’t like girls and they all think Julie isn’t the type to be okay with their group dynamic. Reggie doesn’t know. Or maybe he does know and doesn’t want to say it. But this isn’t Sunset Curve and they’re not kids running around on the streets begging for a sliver of success.

Luke is close to tears. Reggie doesn’t want him to cry.

“Yeah, maybe,” Reggie says. “But that seems like something you’ll need to talk to her about.”

Alex nods.

“What about Willie? Why does Alex get to have that and you? There have been girls before,” Luke whines.

It’s not fair of him to compare, not when the three of them know that what is budding with Julie is obviously so much more than whatever flings with girls Luke and Reggie could find back in the 90s.

“Dude, you know it’s different with Alex and Willie. Besides, they’re not anywhere near where you and Julie are. Maybe you can have us and her, but she’s got to be okay with that. Not us,” Reggie says.

He reaches out and touches Luke’s arm. 

“None of this matters. She’s alive and we’re not,” Alex replies.

“It doesn’t stop him from loving her,” Reggie says.

Luke gets up and zaps away.

“Jealous?” Alex asks.

Reggie nods. “Course. You’re all I have,” he says.

Alex lays his head in Reggie’s lap. “Sunset Curve forever,” he says.

But they’re not Sunset Curve anymore, Reggie thinks.

***

Julie Molina surprises them all yet again. She takes Unsaid Emily to Emily Patterson herself and Luke spends an entire day shifting between upset, relieved and anxious. Luke needs to feel, to touch. He needs it now more than ever, and suddenly the three of them are underneath the pier and it's dark and the moon is reflecting through the wooden boards off Alex’s perfect blonde hair and Luke is hard.

There’s a rustle as Reggie takes off his leather jacket and they settle themselves on the sand. Alex watches as Luke grabs a hold of Reggie’s stomach and places featherlight kisses down it’s length.

Luke turns toward him and mewls as Alex lunches forward and kisses him fast and hard. The logistics of this are always never worked out in advance, and it was easier when Bobby was there as a fourth.

But, eventually, they figure it out and settle into a rhythm that works. Luke is touching softsoftsoft skin, and he forgets almost immediately which body is providing the slick heat the moment he slides in. It’s fast, and sand gets absolutely everywhere but it's exactly what he needs at that moment. He looks up at Alex holding Reggie’s arms back, and thank their luck that they are ghosts and no one can witness the public debauchery taking place underneath a random Santa Monica pier. Luke can’t see anything beyond the black-blue echo of stars blurring his vision and his stomach tightens and then he’s done and can’t breathe.

He scoots back and struggles to let air in and barely has time to wipe the tears that are openly spilling or to let his refractory period kick in before it’s Alex’s turn. Alex places Luke down and then Alex is touching every bit of exposed skin, his mouth instantly around his dick and Luke is shaking and crying and grabbing fistfuls of sand. He can hear how utterly wanton he sounds, can hear Reggie’s ragged breaths as he comes down off his own post orgasm high, but nothing tops the sound of Alex’s throat and spittle.

He chances a glance and can make out the crown of Alex’s head bobbing in time with the waves of the water. Luke is hard again and every single curse he knows leaves his lips as Alex pushes two spit soaked fingers inside of him.

Reggie buttons his pants and starts talking. “Fuck, you’re taking it so good, Lukey,” he says.

Alex grunts in response as he leans down to kiss the expanse of toned abs.

When did Luke’s shirt come off?

But nothing else matters because Luke is beyond the moment, beyond the night sky, beyond the pure expanse of constellations in the light flickering above them. He is beyond sensation, beyond human emotion. Alex has placed his penis inside of him at this moment and Luke lurches forward at the unexpected contact and he’s whining, begging for more, and he can’t focus on anything other than the quick rhythm of in and out.

When they’re all done Reggie bursts into tears. He startles the rest of them. Reggie's cries for as long as his pride will allow. He knows this will be the last time they do this. He knows what Luke and Julie have won’t allow for this, that Alex and Willie will probably be together too.. Reggie knows he will be alone and he cries for the love he feels for his two favorite people. He cries for his parents, who lost their eldest son. He cries for the joy he feels playing in Julie and The Phantoms, and Reggie cries for Trevor. Bobby. Whoever. He doesn’t cry for himself. There are times when Reggie feels more alone than he ever did. Even with Alex rubbing circles into his back and Luke wiping away his tears, Reggie feels really soul-crushingly alone. “You have to tell her,” Reggie says finally. His voice is strained. Luke is exhausted and is lazily running his hands through Alex’s hair.

“Yeah,” Luke mentions.

***

“Oh,” Julie says. “Flynn said you guys might have been queer but I didn’t rea--”

Reggie gasps.

“Please don’t call us that,” Alex says carefully. He spits it out through gritted teeth. Luke looks away.

“Oh, no, it’s cool. It’s fine. I can show you guys some tiktoks or something,” Julie says. “Queer men just means guys who like guys.”

“That’s a slur, Julie,” Reggie says. His voice is stable but his eyes are cold.

“It’s not anymore! I’m sorry. I forgot you aren’t Gen Z. . . “

“I don’t like it,” Alex whispers.

“I forget that you died in 1995. I’m really sorry. It’s really common to say that guys who like guys are “queer identifying.” Flynn will tell you she’s queer if you ask. She doesn’t like other terms. I won’t use it to refer to you anymore,” Julie says.

“Oh! And obviously it’s okay. I don’t care. I didn’t realize you were poly.” Julie is embarrassed to have unknowingly insulted her friends.

“Poly?” Luke asks. He manages to look her in the eyes then. He’s relieved she doesn’t spit in hate, but Luke isn’t sure where he and her stand.

“Polyamourous? Not monogamous? Dating more than one person? I mean, I’m not but it’s cool. Flynn’s had a few girlfriends at once before.”

“I didn’t know there was a word for it,” Luke says.

“I think Sunset Curve has always been different,” Alex says. He looks at Reggie. “I wouldn’t call myself poly, but I love them,” Alex replies.

Reggie’s cheeks grow as pink as Julie’s lipstick.

“Well I guess it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to label yourselves. This stuff is pretty hard to figure out, but the good news is that it’s not like when you all were alive,” Julie says. “Things are better now. They’re not the best they can be, obviously. But they’re better.” She realizes then that they’re still tense. “Guys, I don’t care? I mean. If you’re gay, straight, poly, it really doesn’t matter.”

Alex begins to sob.

“We’ve been doing a fuck ton of crying lately,” Reggie says.

Julie bites her lip. She still feels like she’s done something wrong. She desperately wants to hug them, kiss their foreheads and _sana sana colita de rana_ away their pains. “Don’t worry,” she says. “I’m on my period so I’ve been crying too.”

The boys groan, but it works. Alex stops crying. He gives her a languid smile.

“Four really is family,” he says quietly.

“Wanna play?” she asks them. They jam until dinnertime. And the next day they do it again. And again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This ended up being shorter than I wanted it to be. I was so swept away by this show I had to write this. I hope you all enjoyed it. DM for my tiktok or other social media. 
> 
> MTV's behind the music came out in '97. Obviously, that's an error on my part. I didn't want to change it.  
> Also I know what an emdash is. My keyboard doesn't make them so I have to copy and paste. I'll replace these later.


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